We’ve been quiet for a few weeks, but the good news is that all of the major projects are done at the house! But, of course, there are still a few tiny things here and there that we’re waiting on, and a few other items we decided to add into the mix.
The last remaining big item is done, and it’s our big deck! With that, I bring you one of the first official before and afters!
A front door is one of the first things you notice walking up to a house. And the door that’s been on the house since we moved in just wasn’t cutting it… Especially in winter.
So we embarked on the process of getting a new one. Something we put some money aside for, hoping it’d be relatively cheap and easy. We weren’t exactly right. But three contractor quotes later, it’s now in the past.
The old door. Note: old security door, insufficient sealing and casing.
Continue reading
So I said yesterday, we went a bit crazy in yard work this past weekend.
A little color never hurt anybody, after all. (Actually, I take that back… did you see the carpet when we moved in?)
If our lack of posts here haven’t been an indication, we’ve been getting a bit, er, stir crazy working in the house.
So of course, when we had an amazing weekend, we couldn’t wait to get outside and do some work in a less confined space.
Our yard needed some help. It was a blan yard mixed of various patches of grass, but mostly just weeds. Lots and lots of weeds.
Being all domestic and such, we were really stoked about being able to grow lots and lots of vegetables this year. So first on the list of yard transformations: a raised vegetable garden!
Here’s what we were starting with. 
Continue reading
Talk about some serious radio silence for a while.
It’s a new year, so that means it’s time to refocus on getting a new series of posts up. Starting with all of the drafts I’ve had stored for weeks and finally get them live.
One of the big ones, and one of the big cosmetic changes we’ve made, was to remove the old, gross, stained, white vinyl siding from the back of the house. It covers all of the former sleeping porches/ addition areas. It was an an ugly, unexciting white, that desperately needed a face lift.
But what made the matter worse was that on the sides of each of the additions, were old windows. Not just working windows, but windows that the previous owners decided to cover from the inside, but keep them outside, resulting in broken windows that were exposing the interior of the house to outside. So we got them framed out correctly and sided over. Something I’m really glad for doing on day as freezing as today.
But, of course, there was a surprise waiting for us. Luckily, Gabe’s mom Nora, was staying with us for a few weeks as we were navigating some of the big renovations/ moving process and helped us hugely! Continue reading
After the last two days of non-stop rain, and no end in sight, I can really say I’m feeling at ease about our recent purchase: a new roof.
When budgeting for what projects we’d be focusing on in the first few months, it really, really hurt to find out that our roof was on its last leg. Not that a roof isn’t important, but what’s sexy about a flat roof that you’ll never see? Yeah, you get my point.
Bathrooms, light fixtures, floors, kitchens, heck, even just paint, are things that stand out and make a visible difference. They remind you every day of the progress you’ve made. Not so much with a roof.
But after much deliberation, we bit the bullet and just did it. We may have to give up some pipe dreams for the time being, but at least we’ll be dry at night and not risk potential leaks down the road.
Maybe we’ll have to make it a point to get up on that roof once in a while just to appreciate it.
I can’t say enough good about our roofer, at least, who got his crew to work overtime to get the roof done before the week of rain came. On top of that, he photo documented everything for us. He made the process much less painless than it could have been.
But the good news: the alligator-skinned roof, is no more!
Two Boys & A House 